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Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| post | United Kingdom |
| Secretary of State | |
| for Housing, Communities and Local Government | |
| insignia | Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg |
| insigniacaption | Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government |
| incumbent | Steve Reed |
| image | Steve Reed Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (crop 3).jpg |
| incumbentsince | 5 September 2025 |
| department | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government |
| style | The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth) |
| type | Minister of the Crown |
| status | Secretary of State |
| member_of | |
| reports_to | The Prime Minister |
| seat | Westminster |
| nominator | The Prime Minister |
| appointer | The Monarch |
| appointer_qualified | (on the advice of the Prime Minister) |
| termlength | At His Majesty's Pleasure |
| formation | |
| salary | £159,038 per annum (2022) |
| (including £86,584 MP salary) | |
| first | John Prescott (as Secretary of State for Local Government and the Regions) |
| deputy | Minister of State for Housing and Planning |
| website |
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (including £86,584 MP salary) The secretary of state for housing, communities and local government is a senior minister in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). As a Cabinet-level position, the office holder is responsible for housing, planning, and local government policy in England.
The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.
History
The Department for Communities and Local Government was created in 2006 by then British prime minister Tony Blair to replace John Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which had taken on the local government and regions portfolios from the defunct Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in 2002.
The secretary of state took over the responsibilities of the minister of state for communities and local government. This post, within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was created in 2005, on the transfer of several functions from the deputy prime minister himself.
Then prime minister Boris Johnson renamed the position Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and gave the secretary and the department responsibility for carrying out the promise in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto of "levelling up". Labour prime minister Keir Starmer renamed the department as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 8 July 2024, retiring the levelling up moniker.
Responsibilities
According to the UK government, the secretary of state has overall strategic oversight of the department’s business and policy in areas including:
- housing and planning
- local government and English devolution
- regional and local growth
- communities and faith
- democracy and elections
- public appointments
- planning casework
- corporate functions
List of secretaries of state
| Minister | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Labour Party (UK)}}" | Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Labour Party (UK)}}" | Labour Party (UK)}}" | Labour Party (UK)}}" | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Secretary of State | Term of office | Party | Ministry | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:John Prescott 2006 (cropped).jpg | 75px]] | John Prescott | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Kingston upon Hull East | 29 May 2002 | [5 May | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006](2006-british-cabinet-reshuffle) | Labour | Blair II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Blair III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Ruth Kelly official portrait.jpg | 97x97px]] | Ruth Kelly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Bolton West | [6 May | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006](2006-british-cabinet-reshuffle) | 28 June | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Labour | Blair III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Official photograph of Hazel Blears MP (cropped).jpg | 100x100px]] | Hazel Blears | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Salford | 28 June | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 5 June | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Labour | Brown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:John Denham.jpg | 75px]] | John Denham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Southampton Itchen | 5 June | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | 11 May | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Eric Pickles Official.jpg | 99x99px]] | Eric Pickles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Brentwood and Ongar | 12 May | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | 11 May | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Conservative | Cameron–Clegg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Con.–L.D.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [[File:Official portrait of Greg Clark crop 2.jpg | 100x100px]] | Greg Clark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Tunbridge Wells | 11 May | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | 14 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Conservative | Cameron II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Official portrait of Sajid Javid MP.jpg | 100x100px]] | Sajid Javid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Bromsgrove | 14 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | [8 January | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018](2018-british-cabinet-reshuffle) | Conservative | May I | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| May II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP crop 2.jpg | 75px]] | MP for Bromsgrove}} | [8 January | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018](2018-british-cabinet-reshuffle) | 30 April | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Conservative | May II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP crop 2.jpg | 75px]] | James Brokenshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup | 30 April | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | 24 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Robert Jenrick Official Portrait February 2020.jpg | 104x104px]] | Robert Jenrick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Newark | 24 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 15 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Conservative | Johnson I | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Johnson II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Michael Gove Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2021 (cropped).jpg | 99x99px]] | last=Cordon | first=Gavin | date=2021-09-18 | title=Michael Gove heads rebranded 'Department for Levelling Up' | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/michael-gove-government-secretary-of-state-andy-haldane-housing-b956092.html | access-date=2021-09-19 | website=www.standard.co.uk | language=en}} | |||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Surrey Heath | 15 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 6 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Conservative | Johnson II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Greg Clark Official Portrait July 2022 (cropped).jpg | 100x100px]] | Greg Clark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Tunbridge Wells | 7 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 6 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Simon Clark Official Portrait September 2022 (cropped).jpg | 99x99px]] | Simon Clarke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland | 6 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 25 October | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Conservative | Truss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Michael Gove Official Cabinet Portrait, October 2022 (cropped).jpg | 100x100px]] | Michael Gove | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Surrey Heath | 25 October | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 5 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Conservative | Sunak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Labour Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Angela Rayner Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped) 2.jpg | 106x106px]] | Angela Rayner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Ashton under Lyne | 5 July | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 5 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Labour | Starmer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Labour Party (UK)}}" | [[File:Steve Reed Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (crop 3).jpg | 106x106px]] | Steve Reed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP for Streatham and Croydon North | 5 September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Incumbent |
Timeline of secretaries of state
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:13 PlotArea = width:85% left:20 top:10 bottom:50 AlignBars = late Legend = columns:2 left:150 top:18 columnwidth:160
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/2002 till:31/12/ TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
Define $now =
Colors = id:con value:rgb(0,0.53,0.86) legend: Conservative id:lab value:rgb(0.84,0.08,0.28) legend: Labour id:liteline value:gray(0.8) id:line value:rgb(0.6,0.6,0.6)
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:2002 ScaleMinor = unit:month increment:3 start:2002
TextData = pos:(20,20) textcolor:black fontsize:m text:"Political parties:"
BarData = bar:Prescott bar:Kelly bar:Blears Bar:Denham Bar:Pickles Bar:Clark Bar:Javid Bar:Brokenshire Bar:Jenrick Bar:Gove Bar:Clarke Bar:Rayner Bar:Reed
PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:s shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
Bar:Prescott from:29/05/2002 till:05/05/2006 color:lab text:"John Prescott" Bar:Kelly from:06/05/2006 till:28/06/2007 color:lab text:"Ruth Kelly" Bar:Blears from:28/06/2007 till:05/06/2009 color:lab text:"Hazel Blears" Bar:Denham from:05/06/2009 till:11/05/2010 color:lab text:"John Denham" Bar:Pickles from:12/05/2010 till:11/05/2015 color:con text:"Eric Pickles" Bar:Clark from:11/05/2015 till:14/07/2016 color:con from:07/07/2022 till:06/09/2022 color:con text:"Greg Clark" Bar:Javid from:14/07/2016 till:08/01/2018 color:con from:08/01/2018 till:30/04/2018 color:con text:"Sajid Javid" Bar:Brokenshire from:30/04/2018 till:24/07/2019 color:con text:"James Brokenshire" Bar:Jenrick from:24/07/2019 till:15/09/2021 color:con text:"Robert Jenrick" Bar:Gove from:15/09/2021 till:18/09/2021 color:con from:18/09/2021 till:06/07/2022 color:con from:25/10/2022 till:05/07/2024 color:con text:"Michael Gove" Bar:Clarke from:06/09/2022 till:25/10/2022 color:con text:"Simon Clarke" bar:Rayner from:05/07/2024 till:05/09/2025 color:lab text:"Angela Rayner" bar:Reed from:05/09/2025 till:$now color:lab text:"Steve Reed"
References
Notes
References
- (15 December 2022). "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23".
- "Pay and expenses for MPs".
- Knight, Sam. (5 May 2006). "Prescott loses his dream home: the mega department". [[The Times]].
- (8 July 2024). "Department ditches 'levelling up' moniker | LocalGov".
- "Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government". Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
- "Parliamentary career for Lord Prescott - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament".
- "Ruth Kelly". UK Parliament.
- "Rt Hon Hazel Blears". UK Parliament.
- "Rt Hon John Denham". UK Parliament.
- "Rt Hon Sir Eric Pickles". UK Parliament.
- "Rt Hon Greg Clark MP". UK Parliament.
- "Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP". UK Parliament.
- "Sajid Javid announced as new Home Secretary after Amber Rudd's resignation". Sky News.
- "Robert Jenrick replaces James Brokenshire as housing secretary". Inside Housing.
- Cordon, Gavin. (2021-09-18). "Michael Gove heads rebranded 'Department for Levelling Up'".
- "The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP @GregClarkMP has been appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities".
- "The Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP @SimonClarkeMP has been appointed Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities @luhc".
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